The Prick of Conscience

Title

The Prick of Conscience

Shelfmark

St John's College MS 138

Associated place

Framsden

east Cambridgeshire

Place of origin

England

Date

s. xv med.

Language

Middle English (1100-1500)

Contents

Form

codex

Support

Vellum (FSOS/FHHF).

Physical extent

Fols. iv + 127+ ii (numbered fols. v–vi), with some vellum finding tabs.

Hands

Written in anglicana. No punctuation except the red brackets joining the verse couplets.

Decoration

Headings and Latin verses in red; red brackets to join the couplets.

Red running titles with subjects of each part.

Extensive marginal indications of subject in red and black ink, often within decorative boxes.

Decorative line-fillers to divide parts.

Two-line red lombards at the heads of the parts; line initials red-slashed and the text divided by red paraphs.

Binding

A modern replacement. Sewn on three thongs. At the front, a marbled paper leaf, two modern paper flyleaves, and a mounted vellum fragment; at the rear, two modern paper flyleaves (the first shares the numeration fol. 127with the stub of an excised vellum leaf to which it is pasted) and another marbled leaf (v–vi).

Acquisition

‘Liber Collegij Sanctj Johannis Baptistae Oxon’ ex dono Richardi ButlerDoctoris Theologiae Archidiaconi Northampt procurante Reuerendo in Cristo Patre Johanne Episcopo Roffiensi1613’ ( fol. 2, vertically in the margin).

Provenance

Accounts from ‘ Framisdene’, ? i.e. Framsden in east Suffolk (fol. iv, the fragmentary flyleaf; anglicana, s. xiii/xiv).

‘Rychard Clowfyld’ (fol. 41 , vertically in the margin; s. xv ex.).

A gloss (fol. 81 lower margin; s. xvi).